After Midnight
by Nimaranel
Summary: The tides have turned and the world is changed. A battle is ready to begin and after midnight the world will never be the same again.  AU Next Generation
1. Prologue

**After Midnight**

**Prologue: June 8****th****, 2030; 18:00**

The rush home from work always made this one of the busiest times of day within London; that and the morning rush made commuting a complete nightmare. People were jammed everywhere—in their cars on the motorway, trudging up and down the sidewalks, and filling every single space on the tube. It was organized chaos that ebbed and flowed daily all around them, yet very few people commented on it beyond to complain about the lack of space they seemed to have each time they boarded a full train. There was always noise and traffic as the day ended and, finally, when all was finished the streets were quiet again as another day ended. Of course, what the muggle world didn't know this evening that their world may have tucked in but another was just starting.

From her window, Mona Spinks could watch the muggle world settle in for the evening as she was just starting. She stifled a yawn with one hand, aware that she had a long night ahead of her. Leaning against the table, she reached out, tapping the tip of her wand against the kettle, pleased to see steam rising from it and a shrill whistle filling the space of the small room. Cups and saucers were already laid in place as she made quick work of pouring hot water into each of the alabaster cups, tea bags floating to the top and staining the water a murky brown. It was a tedious job, but someone had to do it and Mona knew if she stayed at her desk for much longer she would drift off into sleep. That was something the Minister didn't look too kindly upon, even though the work he gave his secretary was minimal (and sometimes Mona thought her job was simply a glorified tea girl).

A little milk, one sugar for the first cup, just milk in another, a little sugar in the next, and the final cup straight black. Using a balancing charm, she left the tea room quickly, her brisk pace echoing against the walls of the old building. They had relocated a few years back into central London, having once resided in an old warehouse district in Chelsea before. The location here wasn't always ideal, considering their charms and protective spells had to be thicker and stronger than before but the location also meant that they were in the hub of London, straight in the heart where they could see things from all around them. The Minister seemed pleased enough with the new offices when elected though Mona knew he only put up with the location due to the view his office had. They could see straight across the River Thames from his office and look upon the city of Westminster with ease. He would stand there often during the day, sometimes pausing when the clock struck each hour, listening to the bells. To be quite honest, Mona found it a little strange that he took such joy in something so muggle when it was common knowledge that the Minister despised anything muggle.

Minister Abraxas Yaxley hadn't been the obvious choice when he first ran for office five years ago. The candidate that had won was the incumbent, Ernest Macmillan, though it had definitely placed Yaxley on the map and into the public eye of the Wizarding World. He was young, good looking, charmed the reporters, and had a plan, which was more than the current Minister could say. Yet, when the votes had been tallied the first time around, the two men had shaken hands and Yaxley had humbly bowed out. Of course, he didn't simply retreat away from the spotlight that he had found during his campaigning; if anything, he relished in it, enjoying the attention and building up public support for the next campaign.

With the tray balancing in the air, Mona rapped her fist against the wooden door, waiting until she heard a faint call to come inside. "I brought tea for everyone, just as you like it," She said in a brisk to0ne as she passed the cups and saucers around. The Minister gave Mona a light smile before turning his attention back to the three men who sat in chairs before his desk. They were all faces Mona had seen before, silently placing names to them as she handed out cups to each. Bernard Pucey (one milk and one sugar), Robert Smith (one sugar) and Xerxes Zabini (straight black). Each were what Mona could consider business associates with the Minister; they each had their own jobs but something always brought them back to these chairs before Yaxley's desk.

"That will be all, Mona," Yaxley said in a cold tone and Mona took that moment to quietly leave the room. She grasped the handle as their voices began speaking at once, all discussing something that Mona couldn't hear, yet she knew better than the close the door all the way. She closed it enough, leaving it cracked slightly, making her way back to her desk. Seated in the old arm chair, she opened the top drawer, finding the fleshy coloured strings that had become her nearest and dearest friend in the past few months—extendable ears.

There were certain things that the Minister didn't know; one of the key ones being that his secretary had been spying on him from day one in office. It hadn't been easy securing the job within the Ministry, especially this high up, but she had managed it somehow. She had become the eyes and the ears of the New Order in the Ministry since so few of them could work so openly in their world. Things had changed drastically since the end of the second war, most for the good. It had lasted for quite some time as the government changed and the people slowly began to heal the scars that countless years of war had left upon them. There was a bright hope, a future they could look forward too, and things were looking up. Of course, not everything lasted and the entrance of a shadowy group in society had been the start of the end.

The Serpentine rose up like a dark shadow roughly ten years ago. It started slowly with protests out in the world where anyone could see, calling for a change within the system. The claimed it had failed them the most, the ones who had needed it, but very few people paid attention to them. It was the working class they gathered with street protests and violence rising unexpectedly overnight it seemed. They grabbed hold of the people with a choke hold and it was only after a surprise election landslide that the real culprits behind it—the elite of society that had been washed out after the end of the Dark Lord—came forth and revealed themselves. Abraxas Yaxley had come into power with a swift and sure force that few would knock down. With the Ministry failing to keep the people in line, Yaxley offered what they could not and won the votes of any who wanted peace. But it became evident after a year in office that peace was the last thing on his mind.

The dictatorship was one gained through bloodshed of the cabinet members in the Ministry and, when it was finished, a new government had stepped into power, one that wanted supreme control over everything. There were curfews, stifling of public opinion, and complete power was given to those whom the Minister deemed worthy of it. And, like they had done before, the Order of the Phoenix rose from the ashes to defend their world.

Everything was crumbling, but tonight, Mona thought as she sat, poised, listening intently at what was going on inside the office, tonight they might stand a chance. She'd been listening in as plans were laid. For weeks now she'd slipped beneath the radar as someone rudimentarily good at magic but not to be treated as anyone of consequence.

"A perfect evening," Smith's voice was the only one out of the lot of them that Mona thought had at least a little warmth to it. Or, at least, he had once been a warm man. "Have there been any issues so far?"

"None, thankfully," Yaxley, ever calm, paused to take a sip from his cup. Despite being so dignified out in the world, his slurping gave him away. "We've begun to gather everyone. They're set to move later this evening."

"Do you honestly think they'll let us go through with this without a fight?" Zabini's low voice resonated throughout the small space. Somewhere Mona could hear fingers tapping against one of the chairs. There was no denying who he meant when he said 'others'. Yaxley didn't like hearing the word Order, especially when it was used in conjunction with everything he stood to demolish. Mona braced herself, never quite sure when Yaxley's temper would rear its ugly head in conversations. Instead he was laughing, an unfeeling, harsh sound that made her wince.

"They won't be an issue much longer. I know exactly where they're located." Mona drew a sharp breath, eyes wide as the world began to spin in front of her. Melin's beard, how could she have missed that little piece of information? She was panicking; if he knew where they were, he could come after them easily. They needed to be warned, they needed a fair chance to defend themselves if Yaxley planned to send people after the last remaining bits of the Order.

"Everything should go off without a hitch," The Minister continued, smugness all but dripping from his tone. "After midnight, our world shall be made new."

Mona had heard enough. She gave her ear a sharp tug, watching the extendable ear retract back into her palm as she tried to swallow against her racing heart and the lump in her throat. He knew, she thought, oh Merlin he _knew_ something and it was up to her to warn them. They knew this was coming, they'd been preparing to break out from the forces that kept them in place, but they weren't prepared for a surprise attack against them. Carefully she pushed herself away from her desk, sliding out of her shoes so as not to make any noise as she all but dashed away from the Minister's office.

Late evening sunlight cast shadows along the walls of the empty rows of desks that were settled on this floor. Twisting her head over her shoulder, shooting a nervous glance back to where she had come, Mona finally paused as, breathlessly, she muttered the incantation. Her wand was alight with silver as the familiar form of her patronus (a heron) came to life before her. The silver light pushed the shadows into the farthest corners of the room and Mona momentarily breathed a sigh of relief.

"Quick," She whispered as she kept her wand pointed at the silvery apparition. "This is Mona. They're coming. They've got plans. They're forming and there's nothing I can do to stop them. He says he knows where you are. Dover's not safe and-" The message was stored away in the patronus as Mona heard footsteps behind her. There was no time to for more as she hissed one final incantation, sending it vanishing as the room was ushered unceremoniously back into darkness again. Her body whipped around to face them, taking in a sharp breath as she found a wand level with her chest.

"Mona," Yaxley murmured, his cold eyes boring into hers. "And here I thought you were better than this." There was no mercy, no second chances as he glared down at her. "Well, it's a shame." The words were spoken with a cold harshness, green light shattering the calm around them. Her body fell to the floor, expression glazed in place, eyes staring ahead at the terror that had been her ultimate demise.

"Do you think we have anything to worry about?" Smith sounded worried. Yaxley snorted.

"No, don't be ridiculous," He stared down at the lifeless body and felt very little remorse for what had happened. "Now we know exactly where they are, don't we?" A laugh fell from his lips, though it held no real humour to it. "Well, we'll have to see about this Order."

The fight had begun and the clock finished chiming outside. London was settling down for the evening. But, for the men inside that room, it had only begun.


	2. Chapter One

**After Midnight**

**Chapter 1: 18:12**

_2017_

The game was afoot as summer slowly rolled into the thoughts and hearts of all the students who were at Hogwarts. Warm weather meant more time was spent outside and less of their attention was focused on the exams that were slowly approaching most of them. Coursework was abandoned early in the afternoon, soaking in what sunlight they could before it got too dark out or before the rounds of Prefects came through to usher all the students off to their respective houses. Today was no different as students scattered themselves in clusters of friend groups along the lawns and the shore of the great lake. From where he stood at the top of the summit (alright, perhaps it was just a small hill, have some imagination people!), James Potter (the second, he might add) could see the targets down at the lakeside. A smirk slid across his features as he spun on his heel to face the motley crew he had managed to gather.

"Right then, lads," He began, hands settled imperiously on his hips as he paced in front of them. "I've seen our quarry down by the lake. If anyone has any doubts or second thoughts, _now_ is the time to speak them." There was a graveness to his voice that seemed strange in the context of the situation. Twelve was far too young to sound 'grave', but James had always taken these little 'missions' with a seriousness his parents wished he'd show in classes. But James always seemed to have his head wrapped around other things and being in school had never been at the top of his list. This, of course, didn't mean he was dumb. James was smart, he just didn't know how to apply himself. Still, he was young enough where it didn't matter quite yet and he was happy to content himself with other things for the time being.

"Do you reckon they'll be mad at us?" Edmund Longbottom was the worrier of the group, always trying to find the spot where they could all happily coexist without conflict. He was decent to have, James thought, though he mostly dragged him along because his father had told James he had to at least try being friends. After all, being timid wasn't a sign of a complete lack of courage, right? James had his doubts though that the old family friend would be any use to him.

"Course they'll be mad!" Liam Finnigan rolled his eyes, shooting James a quick smirk, "I mean, where's the fun if there isn't a bit of danger, yeah?" This was one of the many reasons that James likes Ian, sending a familiar grin back to his best mate, resisting the urge to high-five the kid. He had the same sense of adventure, the same sense of humour, and thought the antics they wound up getting themselves involved with to be completely and utterly amusing. "We'll be golden and it's not like they're going to do much. I mean," Liam paused, frowning, "they're just a bunch of _girls_."

"Yeah, well, if you think that, you've never met my little sister," Albus was the final pick and another one James wished he could have left behind. He stood at the edge, his Slytherin uniform standing out against the gold and crimson of Gryffindor that surrounded him. "Whatever, let's just get on with it then, yeah?" James rolled his eyes. Al was always a bit of a downer or at least he had been at the start of term. He'd been afraid of being sorted into Slytherin, which is exactly where he'd been placed and James had found it hard to take the mick out of him when Al was that down about something. But now he'd been spending time with that Malfoy boy and James couldn't help but feel irritated about that. Well, it was another story for another time.

"Right then, let's get to it!" James cried out, eager as he took the head of the pack.

To anyone who was watching from the outside, they would have seen a small group of boys, all of them slinking down towards the lake and the pack of girls James had pointed out. It wasn't long before they all reached into their pockets and, with a battle cry that would make any warrior proud, they attacked. Frog spawn, it seemed, was not a favourite for the girls as they shrieked, leaping from their spots by the lake, hurrying to brush it out of their hair and robes. One girl even managed to fall in. It wasn't until they were out of frog spawn that the boys took off, laughing and high-fiving one another. From the lakeside, the girls glowered and glared, shouting back their insults to those who had just accosted them.

"Bloody boys," Rose Weasley shouted loud enough for her cousins to hear her. "We'll get you back for this!" A blond girl held the frizzy haired redhead back from chasing and, from a spot safely on the hill, James sneered down at them. The blond only glared back and stuck her tongue out at him, seeming to forget any sort of propriety that she may have had moments ago. Liam, with hands pressed against his knees and panting for air, saw the look and laughed.

"Be careful, mate, I heard Eliza Nott already knows how to hex real accurately."

"What, that little thing?" James rolled his eyes, "Please, Nott doesn't scare me one bit. She'll have a hard time trying to get me back anyways." Of course, he'd be eating his words only a few days later, choking on his goblet, managing to spew out little frog spawn onto his kippers and bacon. From the Ravenclaw table, Nott shot him a taunting smirk.

"Hope you're enjoying your breakfast, Frog," She called and laughed haughtily. His cousin, Rose, was giggling at her side and, putting their heads together, seemed to forget about the second year, too amused with their prank to see the scathing look.

"Next time," Liam muttered, giving James' plate a sick look.

"Yeah," James grumbled as he shoved his ruined food away from him, "next time we'll be better and make it harder for them to hit us back." It seemed, in that moment, a miniature war had sprung up and James knew he wasn't going to take any prisoners.

And, while he wasn't about to walk over to the girl, he knew Nott wasn't going to either.

_2030; 18:23_

The coast wasn't particularly warm once the sun had begun to set. Grateful for the warming charm he'd put on his coat pockets, James frowned out at the sea. It seemed the edge of a vast abyss, he thought, the light from the sun reflected in reds and pinks along the famed white cliffs. A suitable colour, he thought morbidly as he crouched down amongst the tall grass along the edge. Tonight had been planned for months now and for the longest time he had barely dared hope they'd make it this far. But here they were and one glance at his wristwatch told him their time was slowly ticking along. They had only a matter of hours to get everything sorted and part of him had to wonder if there was enough time.

"Worrying's not going to do you any good, mate," Liam crouched next to James, his eyes looking at the man next to him rather than out at the sea.

"Who said I was worrying?" James grumbled, though it didn't take much to guess that he was worried. "It's nothing; I'm just going over everything in my head again." His fingers ran along the grass, shivering as a particularly chilly rush of air hit him from the sea. "I don't want to lose anyone."

"We'll get them out," Liam reassured James, clapping him on the shoulder, "and you've got a crack team taking it on." Another pause as Liam added, cautiously, "Have you heard anything from her?"

"I'm not bloody worried about _her_," James all but spat out, shooting Liam a glare. "Besides, not that I'm fucking worried, but she's not supposed to send word until later anyways." He shifted, uncomfortable for a moment in time, his mind flashing to the woman who, despite all of his protests, was occupying his every thought. He couldn't have that, not here and not now when there were far more important things, far _bigger_ things for his mind to focus in on. "Has Lily sent word yet?"

"Not yet. Last I heard she and Meg had reached London and were settling in to wait for the right time." Good, at least he had that to work with. "I'm sure she'll let you know if anything's gone wrong. But, knowing Lily, she knows how to take care of herself without our help." Liam cracked a grin, laughing, "Remember when she hexed the Ravenclaw Captain for cheating during a match? I wouldn't ever want to get on her bad side."

James laughed. He trusted his little sister to take care of herself. She and Meg Thomas wouldn't have much trouble, if any, in their part. It was just a matter of not being seen and getting the former Minister out safely. "How's Rosie holding up down there?" For the first time since he came up to the hill, James shot a glance back down to their make-shift camp where so many of them had already gathered. So many of them, willing to possibly give their lives, if only for the chance to escape all of this madness, to squeak past the veil that had fallen over their island and have a chance at seeing another day to fight.

"Worrying, as usual," Liam rolled his eyes, "She didn't sleep a wink last night," There was a hint of worry in his tone as he sighed, running a hand through short, sandy colored hair. "We all know they work, it's just a matter of double and triple checking to make sure none of them, I dunno, explode or anything when you grab onto them. She's smart, my Rosie, but even she can't work this complex magic without it having a little wear and tear on her."

"Yeah, I know," James sighed, shaking his head, "but she's the best for this. She's smarter than the two of us combined." He shot Liam a little smile. "Don't worry so much about her. She'll be fine, she just needs to see the portekys work without anything going awry."

"Yeah."

The men sat there, quiet, taking in the stillness around them. It wouldn't be quiet for long, that much they both knew. James reached down to the ground, fingers clamping around a rock. Despite the fact he knew exactly how it would end, he threw it, watching as the stone flew through the air and, rather than landing in the ocean below, bounced off against an invisible shield. Dark magic, powerful magic, something they hadn't seen before. It suffocated them, closing in around the island, leaving it completely cut off from the rest of the world. Tonight, James hoped, they would find a way to break through, even if it was only for a few minutes. That was all the time they needed.

"James!" His thoughts interrupted, the man stood, turning to see a dark figure racing up the hill to him. It wasn't hard for a brother to recognize kin as Al finally came to a stop, panting, breathless, and frantic. "James, Mona's sent word. They've found us!"

Cold fear clamped down on James' heart as he took in a sharp breath. "And Mona…?" He asked, almost afraid to hear whatever answer Al had to give. They both knew what happened when Yaxley found traitors amongst his people. They both knew Mona Spinks had died for this cause. He glanced from Al to Liam, swallowing hard. "Right lads," He muttered, running a hand over his face, "It looks like we've got to be ready."

Out at sea, James could see the sun fading as night settled in around them. Stars were starting to peek out and lights from the city of Dover could be seen in the distance. War was coming and they seemed to have little time to prepare for it. With shaking hands, James turned back down the camp. "We've got to be ready." He didn't know how he'd do it, or how they could manage having anyone come down upon them _here_, but James knew his duty.

_Be safe, please be safe._ Her face flashed in front of his eyes but, with a quiet sigh, James blinked her away from his thoughts as the men hiked back down to the camp as quickly as they could manage in the growing dark, becoming shadows against the land as they slipped into the dark.


End file.
